Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I saw someone on my Instagram post about this book and I immediately requested it. This second chance romance was all I could ask for to get me out of my reading slump.

Elliott and Amas story had me hooked from the beginning! I mean who doesn’t love a grumpy tattooed main character *swoon*

This might just be one of my favorite romances of 2023!!!! Everyone needs to read this when it comes out on July 11th!

Prepare yourself for a truly fresh (and spicy) take on the tropes you love: second chance and grumpy/sunshine.

Ama is a wedding planner with an ex, Elliot, who’s a florist. His POV is from the past and hers the present, slowly letting his see how their breakup played out then… and how things will go now.

We know immediately that Ama is going to be challenged by a relationship because of how she got into the business- her mother has been married and divorced more than a dozen times. When she mentions to a bride her future weddings (after the present one) I was in shock, but I can’t blame her for her perspective!

Elliot is grumpy and foul-mouthed… and fragile in a way that makes me love him? (I also love Ama.) The sexual tension is off the charts, and that their history spans *years* only makes this that much of a richer experience for me.

I bought their love. Their anger, their torn-open hearts over each other… when only their person can put them back together. I’m so invested that it’s ridiculous.

I highly recommend this for the romance lover and the romance skeptic! This was a breath of fresh air, and I am formally requesting updates on our Ama and Elliot. The readers deserve this. (If our kind author is willing to provide of course.)

Pick this one up. Seriously.

A grumpy tattooed florist with a soft little heart and a wedding planner that’s against marriage? Safe to say I was VERY intrigued and this book surpassed all of my expectations. The tension and drama and angst was just *chefs kiss* and the steamy scenes made me sweat. I love a good second chance romance if it’s done right and Julie Soto Did. It. Right. No notes. But I will be purchasing a physical copy and recommending to everyone I know.

This was so cute

Forget Me Not is the story of Ama Torres, a wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage and Elliot Bloom, a brilliant florist. The two are forced to work together on a high profile wedding years after their own relationship ended...abruptly we'll say.

The book is told through dual points of view . I love how the present is told through Anna's perspective and the past perspective is Elliots.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine troupe and this was a great second chance romance.
This is going to be the perfect summer beach read

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

4.25 Stars

This novel is written by the fanfiction author LovesBitca8 in her debut traditionally published novel, Forget Me Not, featuring what, I believe, is a ReyLo inspired novel, and was also just amazing.

Quick Synopsis: Ama is a wedding planner working for herself for 3 years after leaving a major wedding planning business where she learned all she knows. When she successfully wins the business of planning Instagram Influencer Star Hazel's wedding, she is surprised to learn the Florist they've selected for the wedding is none other than her former flame, Elliot. What follows is a second chance romance that switches back and forth between the past and the present.

Trigger Warning: Childhood trauma, death of a parent, toxic work environment, emotional manipulation

What I liked:
-I loved the characters. I feel like I don’t often say that, but I truly loved these two characters and I loved how they loved each other.
-I also love a second chance romance and this was a great one for sure.
-The grumpy florist character development was spectacular.
-QUALITY spice, my friends. Absolute quality.

What Is struggled with
-The ending felt a bit rushed to me and I wish I had gotten more. I wanted more interaction between Ethan and Ama in the present, because while I loved their past interactions, I wish I had more of that in the present.

I will read anything this author writes. Legitimately anything, although I am still working my way through their Dramione fanfic backlist. Thank God I still have that because her next book doesn’t come out until 2024 and I can’t wait that long.

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is a delightful and heartwarming second-chance romance novel that will make readers swoon. The book follows the story of Ama Torres, a wedding planner who has never believed in marriage, and Elliot Bloom, a brooding florist who despises owning a flower shop, as they work together on a high-profile wedding after their past relationship ended abruptly. The novel is told through a dual point of view, with Ama's present perspective and Elliot's past perspective blending together seamlessly to create a vivid picture of their relationship.

The story is fast-paced and engrossing, with engaging characters and a cleverly constructed plot that keeps readers hooked until the very end. The author has done an excellent job of creating realistic and relatable characters, each with their own flaws and strengths. Ama is a strong and independent woman who has built a successful career on her own, while Elliot is a tattooed cinnamon roll of a man who is struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Ama.

The chemistry between Ama and Elliot is electric, and the scenes where they work together are both sizzling and heartwarming. The tension between them is palpable, and readers will find themselves rooting for them to overcome their past and find their way back to each other. The wedding planning drama adds a layer of excitement to the story, as the two brides who have hired them are determined to set them up without knowing their complicated history.

Overall, Forget Me Not is a charming and entertaining novel that will appeal to anyone who loves second-chance romances and wedding planning drama. With its engaging characters, clever plot, and steamy scenes, this book is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy this genre. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and heartwarming read that will leave them feeling happy and satisfied

Forget Me Not was a great book and grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I liked all the characters and thought they were well developed. Great story! 4/5 stars

This was super fun and I tore through it - in retrospect I had a few quibbles, but overall, a great, fun read.

Things I loved:
- a heroine who is highly competent and excels at her job (I am pretty sick of rom coms that begin with a woman who is down and out, clueless, just got fired for some gross incompetency and lives are in total upheaval. We need fewer of those, and more of these, where our lead characters are on it and great at what they do.)
- the hot florist boyfriend who creates these incredible visual architectural flower installations (how great would this look in a movie version?!)
- the dual perspective and dual timeline worked really well here I thought (sometimes I'm not a fan of the dual timeline particularly when the BIG THING that drove them apart is built up to A LOT and then is anticlimactic -- I think there was a little bit of that here, ie. was not much of a surprise what drove them apart on their 1st go-round but it both timelines interspersed were still very engaging and page-turning to read.)
- the Jane Austen "Persuasion' vibes from the plot-line... (i.e. Elliot's declaration of the constancy of his love, that Ama accidentally overhears on the bluetooth). Loved it.

One quibble and 1 tiny wording thing:
- both characters did seem to run hot & cold/send mixed signals sometimes, that I just blew past in-the-moment; but in retrospect was a little hmmm about.
- pg. 236 "... I cant ever thank you enough for getting this wedding off its feet today..." -- I think should be 'off the ground' or 'on its feet' ?

One hilarious thing (perhaps of its time?):
- page 142 - "Where's the wedding?" "The four seasons" "The hotel? or Total Landscaping?"
HA!!! I feel like I know when this book was being written now; and laughed out loud at this... but I wonder if people will remember it next year...

Definitely a fun, great romcom read - better than a lot of the stuff that gets pushed at the front of bookstores currently.

Excuse TF out of me. This book had no right being as good as it was. I loved the plot, loved the dual timeline, loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic. Ama and Elliot are SO CUTE together and I love how they were thrown back into business and working with each other. He’s grumpy but is so sweet and just needs a hug. And the flower tattoos. Perfection.

This book is everything I love in a romance. I’m not always a fan of books going back and forth between past and present but this absolutely worked for me. Forget Me Not has the grumpy / sunshine trope, he falls first, short chapters, alternating timelines and perspectives, and plenty of steam!

Ama is a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage, but wants to help everyone throw the most fabulous party. Elliot is the grumpy florist, who inherited his fathers flower shop and is trying to find a way to make it his own. These two have a bit of history and haven’t spoken or been in the same room in years. They both have a great opportunity to work on a high profile wedding but the caveat is that the couple wants them both and they’re not open to any other vendors. They have to work in close proximity for eight months, can they be professional or will their past get in the way?

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. WOW. New favorite romance alert. This second chance, grumpy sunshine was the most well written romance I have read it so long. I absolutely ADORED Ama and Elliot. And also don’t mind me googling every flower and now wanting to decorate my entire house with floral arrangements.

The pace in this was perfect and the side characters were so good.

My heart. I’m swooning. Absolutely obsessed and cannot wait for my physical copy so I can shed tears on the actual pages and highlight every freaking word.

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto was the romance story I didn’t know I needed!
Woah! This is seriously a debut title? How? I’m currently speechless.

Well, this stunning second chance romance is an absolute must read.
And this is why I love romance novels.
This story is told in dual POVs, Ama and Elliott relationship building was seriously on point.
The two had such amazing chemistry together and the grumpy/sunshine trope worked perfectly together.
FMN is quite honestly one of the best books I've read this year. It was perfection. The story is refreshing and unique, and the writing is intelligent and fresh. I can't wait to see what else Julie Soto has in store.
I'll definitely be reading every and anything else she puts out! 
This book was such a pleasant surprise, one I know will make for a popular read in just a few months.

Pure escapism… Exactly what you want from a romance novel.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is one of the most highly anticipated romance novels of 2023, and it definitely lives up to the hype! The passion, blooming romance, and heartbreaking love story of Ama and Elliott caught me off guard. Of course, two of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers and grumpy meets sunshine - are perfectly blended into their love story!

The "Wedding Planner meets Bed of Roses" storyline is also alluring and captivating enough to make you root for the entire execution!

I have to admit, I couldn't get into the story at the beginning. The main characters didn't spend much time in the same room, and Elliott's backwards narration made me a little impatient. I just wanted to learn their story and more about the characters. I even found Elliott too rude, reserved, and extra grumpy. At first, I thought of giving the book three stars, but in the second half, the pacing picked up, the sparks started flying, and the emotions were all over the place. I literally fell in love with our grumpy hero, who might be a cinnamon bun hiding behind a rough facade. He acted like a knight in shining armor, intervening at the right time to save Ama's day and her career. We finally had a chance to see his kind and caring side.

The story revolves around Ama, a wedding planner inspired by her mother's weddings, and Elliott, who inherited his father's flower business and dropped out of college, giving up his dream of becoming an architect.

Ama finally has a chance to plan the wedding of a famous influencer and her fiancé, which could put her on the map as Sacramento's most popular wedding planner. But the offer comes with a catch: the couple has already hired a florist, her ex-lover Elliott, whom she broke up with two years ago. She has done her best to stay away from the weddings he has worked on so far, but now she has to brainstorm creative ideas to thrive in her career and plan the wedding of Hazel and Jackie's dreams. Can she set her boundaries and act professionally even though Elliott keeps resenting her?

But the sparks between them are still there, and they make an amazing team. Can she give them a second chance and make up for the lost years?

Overall, especially the second half of the book, exceeded my expectations. It was heartwarming, entertaining, and romantic, making me smile from ear to ear!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and most importantly, Dana Cuadrado, for sharing this amazing book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Engaging, fun, romantic read. Loved the story of Ama and Elliott. The time lapses back and forth were seamless and really moved the story along in a provocative way. I look forward to Julie’s next book!

4.5 stars rounded down!! I picked up this book without many expectations, not knowing what it was about, and I was so pleasantly surprised!! I absolutely devoured this - seriously, I think I finished it the hours of 8pm and 8am. The tension and longing between Ama and Elliot was seriously off the charts , and I was so invested in finding out what went wrong with them. There's almost nothing I love more than a second chance romance, and this one hit it out of the park. I loved all the sequences leading up to the final wedding scene - I was excited, and nervous, and on the edge of my seat!! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more Julie Soto in the future :)

Thanks so much NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC!!

So I am calling it now. This will be in my top romances of 2023 wrap-up post. Ama is a wedding planner, and Elliot is a florist. This is an incredibly emotional and beautiful second chance romance when both of them are hired for the same high profile wedding.

The book has such a fascinating storytelling style. The chapters from Ama's perspective are in the present, but the chapters from Elliot start at the beginning of their relationship and slowly move toward the present. Thus, the different timelines are each single POV, but we get both of their perspectives on many different scenes. I have never read anything like it before, and it worked so well to bring me in.

I fell hard for Elliot. He is so quiet and so sweet. He is covered in tattoos of flowers that are going extinct. He comes off as the grump, but as we read in his voice, we see just how deeply he loves. And Ama is amazing as well. She's strong and nuanced. Both main characters and the secondary characters had such depth.

There are funny scenes and sweet and light scenes. There's chemistry and steamy scenes. But most of all, there's so much depth of emotion. This book had me laughing, crying and yelling and feeling all the things.

Thank you to Forever and Fable for the experience of reading the advanced reader copy with a group. These opinions are my own.

Julie Soto wrote this for the AO3 girlies and I ate every second of it up. The way this book was formatted was amazing. It's dual POV, but for the most part Ama's POV shows the present and Elliot's POV shows the past (their relationship and how it eventually ended on bad terms). Usually I get tired of the 'brooding, grumpy, no words, asshole' MMC within a few chapters and then actively hate on him for the rest of the book but Elliot was different and I loved him. He's more 'grumpy, hates everyone but her, still refuses to speak more than a few words to her tho' kind of grumpy and I love that that personality extended to everyone, not just the FMC. I thought I wouldn't like the influencer wedding plot because I despise all things influencer related in fiction but it ended up being okay. The only part that actually focuses on Hazel being an influencer is Ama being super excited to meet her and plan her wedding, and Hazel having to deal with some press as well as working a ton. I loved Jackie, and especially loved how Hazel and Jackie were plotting to get Ama and Elliot together because the tension between them was so obvious. I loved Ama's relationships were each of her current and ex-stepsiblings and especially how she has at least five of them working for her. However, I wish there was a little more detail with Ama's five billion ex step siblings as well as more detail on her relationship with her father. Ama's car is constantly on the verge on breaking down/spontaneously combusting and that is because that car is the one thing her father has given her and she's scared she'll take it into the shop and end up having to get rid of it. Since Ama's car is mentioned so much, you'd think her relationship with her father would be mentioned more than once or twice, but it seems like Julie Soto threw in that detail just to establish her relationship with her father and then forgot to mention it ever again. Aside from that, I have no complaints and I genuinely loved this book.

I was hooked from the very beginning, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished this book. I read it in one day, and I stayed up way too late to finish it. It was totally worth the lack of sleep though! I loved this book.

Ama is a wedding planner who is running her own business. She has loved planning weddings since she has been planning her mother's weddings since she was a little girl. Her mother has been married 16 times, and this has caused Ama to not believe in marriages or long term commitments. To her, the most important part of a wedding day is the reception and the party part of it.

Elliot, reluctantly at first, took over his father's florist business. He met Ama five years ago, and he started to work with her up until two years ago. They spent time together working on weddings, and they developed a sort of relationship without the official title. Even though their relationship wasn't defined, the feelings that Ama and Elliot had for each other were very real until it all came to an end.

Now, two years later, Ama is working on a high profile/large budget wedding for a celebrity client. The brides, Hazel and Jackie, have hired Elliot as their florist. This forces Ama to have to work with Elliot again after all of this time. When they see each other again, things are awkward at first, but are their feelings still there for each other? Will they find their way back to each other?

The story is told through a dual POV with Ama's POV mostly taking place in the present, and Elliot's point of view mostly taking place in the past. The juxtaposition between viewpoints and timelines added a sense of mystery to the story, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Read this book if you like:
- grumpy/sunshine
- second chance romance
- wedding planning drama
- he falls first
- Dual POV
- past and present timelines
- tattooed cinnamon roll MMC
- spicy scenes (the scene at the workbench will live in my memory rent free for years to come!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC of this amazing book! I will be purchasing this book and rereading it over and over again. I loved it!

Ama, is a wedding planner, whose Mom has been married sixteen times. Each marriages has tainted Ama's ideas of love and matrimony. Elliot, the local florist, partners with Ama on her events. Their insta-chemistry blossoms into something neither wants to label or define until its too late.

This second chance love story is incredibly emotional and endearing as they are brought back together on a high-profile wedding. Forget Me Not is told from Ama's perspective in the present, and Elliot's perspective from five years, four months, three weeks, and five days ago leading to the present.

Oh boy ladies, watch out as there's a new book boyfriend on the scene in Elliot. He's a sexy, brooding bad boy with tattoos, and he also loves exotic flowers. His work table will haunt your dreams!

Thank you Forever for the advance reader copy.

So I’ve been in a romance reading slump and I somehow miraculously received a digital copy of this book. I finished it in a day!! This is Julie Soto’s debut novel and I can confidently say that she has me HOOKED! I’m a sucker for a grumpy x sunshine trope and while second chance romances are usually not my cup of tea (because they usually include frustrating miscommunication) this was done seamlessly and made the plot more spicy. Everyone needs to read!!